Hydraulic testing machine



'2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 8, l194.2. H, YATEs HYDRAULIC TESTING MACHINE yFiled May 1, 1941 Sept. 8, 1942. H YATES 2,295,249

HYDRALIC TESTING MACHINE Filed May l, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 la ff f2 v' Y and the straining operation at Patented Sept. S, 1942 UNETED STAT 2,295,249 HYDRAULIC TESTING MACHINE l-larry Yates, Birmingham,

W. & T. Avery Application England, assignor to Limited, Birmingham, England May 1, 1941, Serial No. 391,315

In Great Britain March 1, 1940 This invention has reference to improvements in hydraulic testing machines, and is more particularly concerned with machines which embody a hydraulic straining gear for eiecting the various tests on the specimen, said gear preferably being associated with an automatic indicating resistant mechanism of the kind embodying a plurality of stages of indication of different capacity values or ranges, whereby the one straining gear may be associated according to the particular test concerned with the preselected section or range of capacity indication which is the most appropriate to that test.

One object of the invention is to provide means associated with the hydraulic straining cylinder or gear whereby the aforesaid different straining capacity or range can be connected to the automatic indicating resistant mechanism without involving Variation of the said resistant, the connection also avoiding the use or employment of an interposed lever system according to known and established practice. A further object of the present invention is to provide means for effecting a quick initial or setting motion of the straining gear which is associated with the means for the carrying out of the actual test upon the specimen, the control of the said setting motion or motions being effected by the operator through the intermediary of a control lever remote from the source of hydraulic power and incorporating means for automatically cutting-out the setting the requisite position or moment. The invention has as a yet further subordinate objective means for automatically putting the machine out of operation upon the completion of any given test so that no damage can result from a continued operation of the mechanism.

The invention consists of a hydraulic testing machine wherein a plurality of dilerential ram cylinders are interposed between the hydraulic straining unit and the indicating mechanism, said mechanism incorporating an indicating range in proportion to each diierential ram cylinder capacity, the rams of the said cylinders having means which admit of the interconnection of the rams one to another, and means for eiecting a rotation of the rams within the cylinders; the proportional pressure applied through the said cylinders being communicated to an automatic load resistant which in turn is connected to the traversable index of the indicating mechanism, means being provided for adjusting the setting oi the automatic resistant according to the desired load range or capacity, and for eiecting a control of the pump unit for the setting and straining motions of the testing unit, means being incorporated for eiecting an automatic cessation of the straining operation upon the completion of any given test.

The invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate as much of the mechanism and details of the testing machine as are necessary to an understanding of the features embodied in the present invention.

In the drawings similar reference numeralsindicate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a front elevation illustrating as much of the load transmission and resistant and indicator mechanism as is necessary to an appreciation of the essential features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front sectional elevation to an enlarged scale of the interconnected Idifferential rams and cylinders seen in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the general lay-out and arrangement of the complete apparatus showing the testing or straining unit coupled to the load resistant and indicator unit.

According to the illustrated embodiment of this invention as applied to a hydraulic testing machine adapted for eiecting tensile, compression, and bending tests, the straining unit generally designated A (Fig. 4) is of a known kind incorporating a main hydraulic cylinder 5 arranged between two crossheads 6 and 1, the crosshead 6 being connected to the upper grip holder 8 and the lower crosshead 1 being connected to the lower grip holder 9 adjustably mounted on the base of the straining unit in accordance with known practice, the specimen being interposed between the grip holders 8 and 9 or between the crosshead 'I and the holder 8 according to the test which is to be applied thereto. The piston I0 which is reciprocable within the cylinder 5 is connected to the upper crosshead 6 while the cylinder structure itself is connected to the lower crosshead 1.

The testing or straining unit A is coupled through a series of pipes and link rod connections to the load transmission and resistant mechanism and to the indicator mechanism all of which mechanism is disposed within a housing which also contains the motor-driven pump unit; this part of the apparatus is generally designated B.

The cylinder 5 is connected through a pipe-line II to an automatic load indicating mechanism generally designated I2 which is in the form of a dial having a plurality of (say four) concentric charts thereon covering four different load capacities or ranges, the load applied being indicated on the dial or charts by means of a rotatable pointer or index I3, the resistant being in the form of a pendulum I4 which is associated with the pointer or index I3 through the rack I5 and the pinion I6 on the spindle of which the pointer I3 is mounted.

Interposed between the main hydraulic cylin-l the arm Mb,

der 5 of the testing unit A and the said load resistant mechanism is a plurality of (say four) hydraulic cylinders I'I, each of which is provided With a piston or ram I8, the said cylinders and the pistons or rams each having a diiferent capacity as will be appreciated by particular reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, each cylinder having a determined proportional ratio to that of the main straining cylinder 5.. These ram cylinders II are connected tothe load resistant of the automatic indicating mechanism so that the power factor of the load resistant remains the same for all the capacities or ranges irrespective` of the load applied to the straining unit. Theconcentric rings or charts constituting part of the dial indicating mechanism I2 are also corelated to the area or capacity ofthe differential ram cylinders I'I in such a way tha-t one of the said ring charts is the indicia from which an observation can be made of the load applied to the specimen according to the particular differential ram cylinder or cylinders through which a predetermined proportion of this load passes as will be hereinafter described.

Hydraulic pressure' is applied simultaneously to the main straining cylinder Sand to the preselected proportional ram cylinder or cylinders I1 by means of a motor-driven duplex oil' pump generally designated I 9 through valve-controlled pipe lines, the pump being of the type incorporating both a comparatively high volume at low pressures and a comparatively'low volume at high of a quick initial setting of the motion of the straining ram and also of the requisite speed of motion for the actual straining or test, whereby adaptability and economy of time are provided, the pump-being immersed in an oil reservoir 2U.

The low pressure side of the pun-1p I'S4 is used `for quick setting prior to testing, and the high pressure side is used for straining purposes only.

The control of the low pressure pump is ef- :fected by means of a lever :framework of the straining unit which lever con- :stitutes a remote control" whereby the operator `can connect thev pump to the main hydraulic .cylinder 5 to effect the requisite setting operation,

The diierential proportional ranfr cylinders I1 .are arranged co-a-Xially one above another in Isuch a` manner that the ram or piston I8' of one cylinder is brought into contact withy the" ram or piston immediately adjoining same, the coupling .being in the form of what may be termed a dog- `clutch I8a between adjacent or abutting faces foi the rams or pistons I8, a key on the one face of 4a ram or piston being adapted' toengage with a keyway or slot on the adjacent face of the abut ting rami or piston immediately above or below the same as the case may be. rlhis feature is` .clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 ofV the drawingsa Provision is desirably made for eecting a relatively slow rotation of the rams or pistons within their Cylinders, say by means of a small electric :motor 22, which compri'ses'a selfcontained'motor, the rotatable driving unit whereof is connected to the lowest ram or piston I8 through gearing so as to prevent cohesive friction. obtaining bee tween the peripheries of the rams or pistonsY andi the Walls of the cylinders,v and thereby enhance `the accuracy of the' test, the said motor transmission unit 22 being mounted on a yoke 23 dis-- posed below the lowest of the said differential' cylinders I'I to which yoke the hydraulic straining force applied' through the said pistons'is communicated by means of a ball-thrust connection 23a from the lowest piston to the yoke 23.

23 is suspended by means of a pair of These yokes together with the said connecting rods constitute a framework surrounding the co-aXial cylinders I1, the uppermost yoke 26 being connected through linkage 2'7 to a crank 28 which is mounted on a spindle 29 on which is also mounted the arm I 4a carrying the pendulous resistant weight I4. The differential cylinder assembly, held together, for example, by bolts I 1b, is supported as by bolts IIc at the upper end from a crosshead I'Iaf. mounted on a pair of pillars 52 supported on the cross member 53-` which' forms part of the framework of the housing for this part of the mechanism'. For the sake of clarity, the method of supporting the upper end of the diierential cylinder assembly is not shown in Fig. l, but is illustrated in Fig. 3, which is on a larger scale.

It will be appreciated multi-capacity machine desired to maintain the constant that a variable mitted to the pendulum according tothe different testing capacities or ranges, hence the necessity for effecting an initial setting of the indicator I3 at the Zero graduationprior to the commencement of any given test. This initial setting is effected by means of an arm Ib radially extending from the spindle 2'9. This extending arm I4b rollers 30 according to the motion of the said extending arm I 4b associated withr the pendulum I4, the said rack I5 meshing with and rotating the pinion I6 on the-spindle on which the load indicator or index I3 is mounted, said load indicator being indicatively common to all the different; ranges or capacities ofthe testing machine.

The end of the worm-screw rack I5 remote from that associated with the extending arm is screw-threaded and' passes through a tapped bush 3i which bush also constitutes a means of connection to a supplementary rodI 3-2 disposed in parallel relationship to the rack I5; this rod 32 being adapted for longitudinal sliding motion between the guide rollers 3`II with and inY relation to the rack I5. At one end this rod is provided with an adjustable con-tact stop 3'3; while the other end may be provided with a recording mum load, 1s broken and no fui ther load 1s applied to the specimen.-

mentary associated rod 32 carrying the adjustable contact stop 33, and that a correct zero setting of the indicator I3 can thus be readily made corresponding to any different range or capacity of test.

A dependent weight 35 is employed to urge the pinion I6 to maintain the cone point I5a on the one end of the rack I in contact with the arm I4b at the variable setting which obtains in accordance with diierent testing ranges or capacities, this dependent weight being preferably located within and forming part of a dashpot 38 which serves to steady the motion of this part of the mechanism.

The setting of the starting lever 2| which connects the low pressure pump I9 to the main hydraulic cylinder 5 when moved to the starting position through the rod 38 effects a rocking of the lever 39 which through flexible connections 40 starts the operation of the low pressure pump circuit until the crosshead 8 is disposed in a convenient position for the insertion of the specimen, or the commencement of the test.

The straining lever 24 is now operated and through linkage opens the high pressure pump circuit to the main cylinder 5 thereby effecting a straining operation on the specimen, the rate of straining being determined by the setting of the knob 43 through a mechanism hereinafter described. Upon the completion of a test and to bring the straining crosshead 8 in a convenient position either for the removal of the fractured specimen or to reset the apparatus for a subsequent test, the lever 2| is reversed and through the rod 38, lever 39 and iiexible connections 40 releases the hydraulic pressure in the main cylinder 5 to atmosphere.

It will be appreciated that the necessary controls are provided on the frame of the machine, for example start and stop press buttons 4I and 42 (see Fig. 4) are provided which control the switch mechanism in the circuit of the electric motor which is employed for driving the pump I9, and knobs or levers are provided extending from the frame of the machine for opening and closing or setting the various controls or valves between the pump I9 and the main straining cylinder 5, and between this cylinder 5 and the proportional or differential cylinders I1, which in turn are connected to the automatic load indicating mechanism, and that a by-pass is provided from the outlet of the pump to the reservoir 2U so that when the pump has been put into operation but is not required for effecting the straining motion the liquid can pass into the reservoir and back to the pump.

The pipe-line II extends into a four-way valve chamber I la from which chamber extend branch pipes I Ib which in turn have connection with the interior of the cylinders I1 so that a valve-controlled continuous liquid iiow obtains between the pump I9, the main straining cylinder 5 and the proportional ditferential cylinders I1, valve control means being provided with an external setting mechanism arranged on theframe of the machine for determining the pipe-line or liquid flow to be employed in any given test.

The dial indicating mechanism is also provided with a maximum load pointer |30, according to recognised practice Which will be carried around the dial through its contact with the index pointer I3 and will remain at the maximum load position until re-set after the completion of a given test in accordance with well recognised testing machine practice.

The knob 43 rotatably mounted on the frame of the straining unit is provided with a graduated index disc 44 which registers against the fixed pointer 45 to afford an indication of the rate of straining which is permitted and controlled by the valve setting in the outlet pipeline ISa from the pump I9 to the main cylinder 5. This valve control is effected through the control wire 45 Which is harnessed to the end of the bellcrank lever 41 pivoted on the pin 48, the short arm of this lever maintaining contact with the outer end of a spindle 49 which is moved backwards and forwards by the rotation and setting of the knob 43, this longitudinal motion of the spindle 49 being eiected in any convenient manner by the rotation of the knob 43. An adjustable limit stop 50 is provided on the bracket 5I which forms the mounting for the pin 48 of the bellcrank lever 41 and for the longitudinal reciprocal spindle 49 and the parts connected thereto.

I claim:

1. A hydraulic testing machine comprising, in combination, a hydraulic straining unit, a plurality of ram cylinders hermetically separated from one another, each having a ram of different projected area, and each being connected to a separate passage for hydraulic fluid, means for diverting hydraulic pressure from said hydraulic straining unit selectively to the passages leading to the various ram cylinders to provide different measuring capacities, a load resistant operatively connected to said ram cylinders for measuring the hydraulic pressure so applied, and indicating mechanism, comprising a traversable indicator connected to said load resistant, having an indicating range of different capacity for each of said ram cylinders.

2. A hydraulic testing machine according to claim l, comprising means for rotating with respect to one another the ram and cylinder of each of said ram cylinders to obviate cohesive friction between the periphery of the` ram and the Wall of the cylinder.

3. A hydraulic testing machine according to claim 1, comprising means for adjusting the setting of said indicating mechanism.

4. A hydraulic testing machine according to claim 1, comprising a pump unitior supplying fluid under pressure to said hydraulic straining unit, means for selectively controlling said pump unit to effect setting motion and straining motion of said hydraulic straining unit, and means actuated by said indicating mechanism at the limit of its normal movement for rendering said pump inoperative to effect further straining motion of said hydraulic straining unit.

5. A hydraulic testing machine according to claim 1, comprising an adjustable rack and pinion connection between said load resistant and said traversable indicator to provide for initial zero setting of the indicator prior to the commencement of a test.

6. A hydraulic testing machine according to `claim l, wherein said load resistant comprises a pendulum, and the ram cylinders are aligned and their rams are connected end to end.

HARRY YATES. 

